This week we harvested our first round of beautiful dark purple Barbarella eggplants! We also harvested our first Tiger Melons and were surprised by how mild they were for the amount of aroma coming off of them. We suggest pairing them with a sweet aged balsamic or sliced thin in a salad with other fruits.

This week, members received an eggplant, beautiful Swiss chard, Easter Egg radishes, a large bag of mixed salad greens, golden beets, a pint of mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, a huge bag of basil, a tiger melon and 5 jalapeños.

Because the greens of these radishes were so healthy we included a recipe for radish green pesto in the weekly email... click 'Read More' to see our weekly email to members as well as recipes!

This week's share:

Radishes

Everyone knows that radishes belong in a salad, right? Correct, however, there is more that can be done with radishes than simply slicing their bulbs and throwing the slices into the Romaine Salad (although this is perfectly acceptable). If you are looking for something different to do with your radish, using their greens is a perfect start. You can actually make a pesto out of their leaves. Here is how you do it:

- Grab 2 large handfuls radish leaves de-stemmed

- 1 ounce hard cheese (optional)

- 1 ounce nuts (pistachios, almonds, or pine nuts)

- 1 clove garlic

- 2 tablespoons olive oil, or more, depending on what consistency you like

Eggplant - store eggplant at room temperature in a vented bowl. It may be kept in the refrigerator 1 to 3 days if used soon after removal. Keep eggplant in a cool spot, away from direct sunlight, and use it as soon as possible after harvesting or buying.

Herbs - Place in a glass of water on the counter or wrap in a damp paper towel, place in a ziploc and store in the crisper for up to a week

Salad Mix - remove from bag and place in a vented bowl or container to be kept in the crisper if you have it. If not, use greens within 3-5 days. Lettuce can also be wrapped in a paper towel instead of this method to allow airflow.

Swiss Chard - We like to de-stem the, roll them up and wrap them in plastic wrap (or paper towel). Store in crisper.

Peppers - keep in crisper

Jalapeños

Take care when preparing your jalapeños, always wear gloves when you prepare hot peppers. Trust us, you don't want the rest of your night to be miserable. If you don't have gloves, you can rub your hands with olive oil before cutting and wash well with warm water and soap afterwards. Just remember not to touch your face and eyes for a few hours.

Baked Jalapeño Popper Appetizers

Ingredients:

5 jalapeño peppers, sliced in half lengthwise

2.25 oz light cream cheese

2 medium scallions, green part only, sliced

1 oz shredded low fat sharp cheddar

1/4 cup egg beaters or egg whites, beaten

1/4 cup panko bread crumbs

1/16 tsp paprika

1/16 tsp garlic powder

1/16 tsp chili powder

salt and fresh pepper

spray oil

Preheatoven to 350°. Wearing rubber gloves, cut peppers in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds and membrane. Combine cream cheese, cheddar and scallions in a medium bowl. Combine panko, paprika, chili powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper in another bowl. Fill peppers with cheese filling with a small spoon or spatula. Dip peppers in egg. Place pepper in panko mixture, using a spoon to make sure all the seasoning doesn't fall to the bottom of the bowl. Spray a baking pan with oil spray. I lined my pan with parchment for easier cleanup. Lightly spray the peppers with a little more oil spray. Bake in the oven for about 20-25 minutes, until golden and cheese oozes out. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Serve hot.